A Theory of Secession: The Case for Political Self-Determination

Beschreibung

Beschreibung

Offering an unapologetic defense of the right to secede, Christopher Heath Wellman argues that any group has a moral right to secede as long as its political divorce will leave it and the remainder state in a position to perform the requisite political functions. He explains that there is nothing contradictory about valuing legitimate states, while permitting their division. Thus, if one values self-determination, then one has good reason to conclude that people have a right to determine their political boundaries.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

1. Introduction; 2. The case for statism; 3. Valuing self-determination; 4. Lincoln on secession; 5. The truth in nationalism; 6. Political coercion and exploitation; 7. Secession and international law; 8. The velvet transformation.

Portrait

Christopher Heath Wellman teaches in the Department of Philosophy at Washington University in St Louis. He works in ethics, specializing in political and legal philosophy, and is co-author, with A. John Simmons, of Is There a Duty to Obey the Law?

Pressestimmen

Christopher Heath Wellman's new book defends a controversial thesis in a novel way. He defends secession and does so in a bold manner that will set his book apart from other such defenses. - Christopher W. Morris, University of Maryland, College Park